10. Drew Smyly, Tigers: At the start of the 2011 season, lefty prospects in Detroit's system like Andy Oliver and Casey Crosby got more of the attention, but it was Smyly who outperformed both of them. In his first full season, Smyly made it to Double-A and led the system in ERA while finishing third in strikeouts, more than enough to earn him MLB.com's nod for the organization's Pitcher of the Year. Smyly fits the mold of a command-and-control college lefty with four pitches -- fastball, cutter, curve and changeup -- that are all usable offerings. If the breaking ball and offspeed stuff continue to improve, it shouldn't be long before he's ready to help out in Detroit.

10. Drew Smyly, Tigers: At the start of the 2011 season, lefty prospects in Detroit's system like Andy Oliver and Casey Crosby got more of the attention, but it was Smyly who outperformed both of them. In his first full season, Smyly made it to Double-A and led the system in ERA while finishing third in strikeouts, more than enough to earn him MLB.com's nod for the organization's Pitcher of the Year. Smyly fits the mold of a command-and-control college lefty with four pitches -- fastball, cutter, curve and changeup -- that are all usable offerings. If the breaking ball and offspeed stuff continue to improve, it shouldn't be long before he's ready to help out in Detroit.

Blake Parker, 26, went 4-5 with seven saves and a 3.23 ERA (27 ER/75.1 IP) in 53 relief appearances last season between Tennessee and Iowa, combining to strike out 80 batters in 75.1 innings. He was promoted to Triple-A in May and went 3-3 with four saves and a 2.81 ERA (16 ER/51.1 IP) in 37 outings. Parker was selected by the Cubs in the 16th round of the 2006 Draft.

That leaves Craig Gentry as the returning player with the most experience, and he's going to get his shot to win the job (and, if you ask me, he deserves it). He's spent the offseason playing winter ball to get more at-bats and is focused on showing he belongs in that job full-time in 2012.

Gentry was called up in May when Nelson Cruz went on the disabled list and, outside of a two-week stint on the concussion disabled list, he stayed on the active roster. He started 33 games in center field in 2011 and the 28-year-old ended up hitting .271 with a homer and 13 RBIs. His speed was a weapon tracking balls down in center and also on the bases, where he was 18-for-18 in stolen bases. One of his focuses this season is attempting more steals to take even more advantage of his speed.

Logan Forsythe has returned to San Diego and is expected to undergo surgery soon on his left foot.Forsythe tried to test the troublesome foot on Wednesday and Thursday in Padres camp but felt lingering pain and discomfort. The 25-year-old infielder can be ruled out for Opening Day, and might miss the first few months of the 2012 season if he indeed goes under the knife.

Logan Forsythe has returned to San Diego and is expected to undergo surgery soon on his left foot.Forsythe tried to test the troublesome foot on Wednesday and Thursday in Padres camp but felt lingering pain and discomfort. The 25-year-old infielder can be ruled out for Opening Day, and might miss the first few months of the 2012 season if he indeed goes under the knife.